University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Baseball Wraps Up Spring Break Facing Maine, Lehigh
March 17, 2016 | Baseball
| Massachusetts (1-7) vs. Maine (5-12) | |
| Dates | Times | Friday, March 18 | 4 p.m. |
| Location | Weather |
Auburndale, Fla. (Lake Myrtle Sports Park) | Directions
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| Live Stats |
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| Social Media | @UMassBaseball  | @MaineBaseball |
| Probable Starters |
Massachusetts: TBA
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| Massachusetts (1-7) vs. Lehigh (3-10) | |
| Dates | Times | Saturday, March 19 | 11:30 a.m. |
| Location | Weather |
Winter Haven, Fla. (Chain O' Lakes Park) | Directions
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Live Stats | Audio
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GameTracker | Listen (Free)
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| Social Media | @UMassBaseball | @LehighBaseball |
| Probable Starters |
Massachusetts: TBA
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| Massachusetts (1-7) vs. Maine (5-12) | |
| Dates | Times | Sunday, March 20 | 2 p.m. |
| Location | Weather |
Lakeland, Fla. (Henley Field) | Directions
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| Live Stats |
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| Social Media | @UMassBaseball |@MaineBaseball |
| Probable Starters |
Massachusetts: TBA
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Batting Practice
- UMass baseball faces a quick turnaround following a pair of games against Harvard on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Minutemen open up the weekend Friday with a 4 p.m. matchup at Lake Myrtle Sports Park with New England rival Maine, before heading to Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. on Saturday to meet Lehigh at 11:30 a.m. UMass will then close out its spring break trip with a Sunday rematch against Maine at Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla.
- The meetings between UMass and Maine will be the first between the squads since 2012, while the Minutemen hold a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Lehigh. The lone contest in that series came in 1939.
Recap in a Minute
- Massachusetts is coming off of a two-game series with Harvard in Winter Haven, Fla. Tuesday's contest saw the Minutemen rally for a run in the sixth inning to get within one run at 2-1, but the Crimson added two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth and one more in the seventh to seal a 5-1 victory.
- Despite solid showings out of the bullpen by Kevin Hassett and Kevin Lacey, including two shutout innings by the latter, the Minutemen fell Wednesday by a score of 9-5. UMass managed to push runs across in the first (2) and third innings, as well as in the seventh and ninth, but a four-run fourth for Harvard in conjunction with a strong start by freshman Simon Rosenblum-Larson helped push the Crimson to the win.
Scouting Maine
- Following a 10-inning, 11-6 win over Lehigh on Wednesday, Maine enters Friday's matchup with Massachusetts with a record of 5-12. The Black Bears are led by veteran head coach Steve Trimper, who is in the early stages of his 11th season at the helm.
- Maine has seen a balance in offensive production between its upperclassmen and younger players., Freshmen Danny Casals paces the bats with a .317 clip, while seniors Jonathan Salcedo (.316) and Kevin Stypulkowski (.308) pace the bats.
- With six appearances, the Black Bears' bullpen is lead in part by senior Charlie Butler, who has earned one win in relief over 11.1 innings and posting a 3.97 ERA in that time. The starting rotation is highlighted by Justin Courtney (1-2), who has tossed 25 innings and struck out 16 batters.
Scouting Lehigh
- After a three-game sweep of Norfolk State to open 2016, Lehigh (3-10) has encountered some struggles as the victim of some tough-luck losses lately. Of their ten setbacks thus far, the Mountain Hawks fell short by two runs or less in six games.
- Connor Donovan has been an integral part of the Lehigh offense, boasting a .341 batting average and clubbing two home runs in the early stages of the season. Donovan has also showed an ability to work the count, drawing six walks.
- On the bump, the Mountain Hawks have been paced by Kevin Boswick (0-1) in the starting rotation and Brandon Kulp in relief. Despite not surrendering an earned run, Boswick was dealt the loss on Saturday against Fairleigh Dickinson after tossing four innings. Since his first outing, Kulp has gone 3.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
- Longtime head coach Sean Leary is now in his 21st season directing the Mountain Hawks. In that time, he has helped his team to over 400 wins and two Patriot League championships (2006, 2015).
A `Hart' of Gold
- Junior Mike Hart increased his team-best hitting streak to seven games during the Harvard series. The Lowell, Mass. native recorded a base hit in game one on Tuesday, along with a 2-for-4 day including a home run in the finale on Wednesday.
- With his two hits on Wednesday, Hart increased his batting average to a team-best .379 and set a new career high for hits in a season (11).
Eyes on Jennings
- Senior co-captain John Jennings has been named to the 2016 Johnny Bench Award watch list, as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. There are 74 nominees on the watch list across Division I, with the award ultimately given to the top catcher at the D-I level.
- Jennings notched a base hit in both games of the Harvard series earlier this week, including a sac fly in the second game. The Massachusetts native also caught a runner stealing in the series opener on Tuesday.
Riding the Wave
- In addition to Hart's hitting streak extension, junior Dylan Morris posted hits on Tuesday and Wednesday against Harvard, increasing his own mark to six consecutive games.
- Brett Evangelista has also worked his way into a similar conversation, reaching base in his last eight games.
Set in `Stone'
- The winningest head coach in team history, UMass skipper Mike Stone is in his 29th season directing the Minutemen baseball program. In that timeframe, Stone has helped UMass to 665 victories, recording eight Atlantic 10 regular season championships, along with two A-10 postseason titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Nearly 40 of his former players have gone on to play professional baseball.
Cole Joins UMass Staff
- Massachusetts native and former southpaw Nate Cole begins his first season with UMass as an assistant coach. Cole comes to Amherst after spending eight years at Southern Connecticut State in the same capacity. His expertise in pitching helped develop SCSU into one of the top Division II staffs in the country.
- During his playing days at Central Connecticut State, Cole helped the Blue Devils to two Northeast Conference championships and two appearances in two NCAA Regionals (2004, 2007). He graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
Eight is Great
- Throughout the 2016 season, the Minutemen will play in eight different states: South Carolina, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, and Virginia.
On Deck
- The Minutemen will travel back to New England following Sunday's contest with Maine and open their home schedule on Tues., Mar. 22 with a matchup with Holy Cross of the Patriot League. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
